Words Cannot Describe
Okay so this happened a while ago, but I thought I would reminisce a bit about the time BEFORE my car was totaled by a drunk driving asshole.
I had a pretty bad night at work, delivering pizzas. I had agreed to work until closing time as a favor for someone, and it turned out to be a sort of mistake, the way things went.
It was actually a fine day, when the sun was still up, I was doing deliveries a bit slower, but I was gathering momentum as I fell into my groove for the day. Then, I had a delivery to the Residence Inn on the waterfront. I know where the Residence Inn is. I just forgot a little bit that day. Anyway, I drove down to the waterfront and ended up missing two of the possible turns that would take me there, and I didn't remember where it was until I was passing by the second of those two turns, and about 2 seconds before I saw the sign that told me I was on the onramp to I-5.
By that time, it was too late, of course, and I couldn't get off of the freeway until I was back by Papa John's. I cursed several times and headed back toward town as fast as possible. I saw what I thought may be a shortcut of sorts to the Residence Inn, and I took it, desperately. It took me, mercilessly, across the river, and far beyond the Papa John's Capitol Highway service zone. Ironically, the bridge also took me flying straight by the Residence Inn at about 10 stories high. I hoped with all my heart that the customer did not have a room that faced the bridge, lest they see their pizza embarking on its wild ride with Mr. Charles around Portland's east side. Eventually, I got onto a regular street that would allow me to cross the river again, though it seemed that every single traffic light in the city had a vendetta against me.
Finally, I made it to the hotel and delivered the pizza to the customer, who oddly did not seem bothered at all that it was about an hour and fifteen minutes since they had ordered it. I apologized for being a little late, and she said it was actually right on time. I told her that the pizza had taken quite a wild ride. I did not tell her, however, that the wild ride literally took it nearly TO the hotel, then 3 miles south of the hotel, TO the hotel again, and then 5 miles NORTH of the hotel on the wrong side of the river, up Broadway from Broadway bridge, through the Pearl district and downtown, and then finally TO the hotel again. When I was leaving, my boss called me, and I picked up with a quick "I'm soooo sorry about that, man" but he actually told me that while I was gone, the customer had called and said to put a hold on the pizza for a few minutes because she was going to the pool with her son. Apparently they had JUST gotten back when I knocked on their door.
I felt mildly shitty about that, but then came another delivery, actually two deliveries, downtown, one near PSU and the other one on Burnside. I delivered to the PSU customer first, because he was closer. I found the place with no problem, and congratulated myself for that because it's rare that happens. Since it was downtown, I locked my car, as I always do without trouble, because I always have the spare key in my wallet, and called up to say I had the pizza downstairs. The guy came down and took the pizza, and I walked back to my car.
I reached for my always reliable wallet in my back pocket. I found no wallet. I froze. I tried to believe that I just put the wallet in some other pocket. Then I realized that I never put the wallet in my pocket that day. Next thing I knew, I was calling my boss while sprinting down the street in the direction of my apartment, since I was about 6 or 7 blocks from it. I told my boss that I had locked my key in the car, but that it was no problem because I was near my apartment and all I needed to do was call one of my friends in the building to let me in and then I can get my wallet. He said okay, and I hung up and called my friends. None of them answered. I ran as fast as I could, and finally reached my building. I was about to try calling again when I realized... the key to my apartment was, in all hideous fact, on the keyring with my car key, which was locked in my car.
I broke a little bit inside, and started sprinting back to my car, while calling my boss back. He said he would call a tow truck and they could unlock the car, and that it was fine because they should be there in 15 minutes or so, and that Papa John's has a contract with the towing company (apparently we give them free pizza?). So, I made it to my car and waited. While I waited, a couple of happy drunk people ambled outside the building I had delivered to, and looked at me weird. Then they said something to the guy who had been standing outside the building the entire time, watching the whole thing, and he said something back to them.
Then the drunk people stumbled across the street toward me and expressed sympathy by saying "dude! You locked yourself out of the car?? that sucks, man!" Then they proceeded to barter with me for free pizza. A drunken girl asked me if I wanted a shot. I said "A shot?" half in disbelief. she said "yeah! of rum!" and I looked at her, then I looked at the car, and back at her, and I said "Um, sorry... I've got to drive?" and she ambled off, muttering "Hey man, I was just asking for the fuck of it, you know? you don't have to be sorry." ........................?
Finally, the tow truck came, and it took him literally 10 seconds to unlock my car. I thanked him after he said I could go, and drove to my second delivery, which went much better, comparatively. My boss had me do one more delivery after that, then he let me go home, and I graciously passed out on my soft bed after walking the 12 blocks back to my apartment from where I parked my car. (It's the closest street that I don't have to pay to park on.)
GROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN.
I had a pretty bad night at work, delivering pizzas. I had agreed to work until closing time as a favor for someone, and it turned out to be a sort of mistake, the way things went.
It was actually a fine day, when the sun was still up, I was doing deliveries a bit slower, but I was gathering momentum as I fell into my groove for the day. Then, I had a delivery to the Residence Inn on the waterfront. I know where the Residence Inn is. I just forgot a little bit that day. Anyway, I drove down to the waterfront and ended up missing two of the possible turns that would take me there, and I didn't remember where it was until I was passing by the second of those two turns, and about 2 seconds before I saw the sign that told me I was on the onramp to I-5.
By that time, it was too late, of course, and I couldn't get off of the freeway until I was back by Papa John's. I cursed several times and headed back toward town as fast as possible. I saw what I thought may be a shortcut of sorts to the Residence Inn, and I took it, desperately. It took me, mercilessly, across the river, and far beyond the Papa John's Capitol Highway service zone. Ironically, the bridge also took me flying straight by the Residence Inn at about 10 stories high. I hoped with all my heart that the customer did not have a room that faced the bridge, lest they see their pizza embarking on its wild ride with Mr. Charles around Portland's east side. Eventually, I got onto a regular street that would allow me to cross the river again, though it seemed that every single traffic light in the city had a vendetta against me.
Finally, I made it to the hotel and delivered the pizza to the customer, who oddly did not seem bothered at all that it was about an hour and fifteen minutes since they had ordered it. I apologized for being a little late, and she said it was actually right on time. I told her that the pizza had taken quite a wild ride. I did not tell her, however, that the wild ride literally took it nearly TO the hotel, then 3 miles south of the hotel, TO the hotel again, and then 5 miles NORTH of the hotel on the wrong side of the river, up Broadway from Broadway bridge, through the Pearl district and downtown, and then finally TO the hotel again. When I was leaving, my boss called me, and I picked up with a quick "I'm soooo sorry about that, man" but he actually told me that while I was gone, the customer had called and said to put a hold on the pizza for a few minutes because she was going to the pool with her son. Apparently they had JUST gotten back when I knocked on their door.
I felt mildly shitty about that, but then came another delivery, actually two deliveries, downtown, one near PSU and the other one on Burnside. I delivered to the PSU customer first, because he was closer. I found the place with no problem, and congratulated myself for that because it's rare that happens. Since it was downtown, I locked my car, as I always do without trouble, because I always have the spare key in my wallet, and called up to say I had the pizza downstairs. The guy came down and took the pizza, and I walked back to my car.
I reached for my always reliable wallet in my back pocket. I found no wallet. I froze. I tried to believe that I just put the wallet in some other pocket. Then I realized that I never put the wallet in my pocket that day. Next thing I knew, I was calling my boss while sprinting down the street in the direction of my apartment, since I was about 6 or 7 blocks from it. I told my boss that I had locked my key in the car, but that it was no problem because I was near my apartment and all I needed to do was call one of my friends in the building to let me in and then I can get my wallet. He said okay, and I hung up and called my friends. None of them answered. I ran as fast as I could, and finally reached my building. I was about to try calling again when I realized... the key to my apartment was, in all hideous fact, on the keyring with my car key, which was locked in my car.
I broke a little bit inside, and started sprinting back to my car, while calling my boss back. He said he would call a tow truck and they could unlock the car, and that it was fine because they should be there in 15 minutes or so, and that Papa John's has a contract with the towing company (apparently we give them free pizza?). So, I made it to my car and waited. While I waited, a couple of happy drunk people ambled outside the building I had delivered to, and looked at me weird. Then they said something to the guy who had been standing outside the building the entire time, watching the whole thing, and he said something back to them.
Then the drunk people stumbled across the street toward me and expressed sympathy by saying "dude! You locked yourself out of the car?? that sucks, man!" Then they proceeded to barter with me for free pizza. A drunken girl asked me if I wanted a shot. I said "A shot?" half in disbelief. she said "yeah! of rum!" and I looked at her, then I looked at the car, and back at her, and I said "Um, sorry... I've got to drive?" and she ambled off, muttering "Hey man, I was just asking for the fuck of it, you know? you don't have to be sorry." ........................?
Finally, the tow truck came, and it took him literally 10 seconds to unlock my car. I thanked him after he said I could go, and drove to my second delivery, which went much better, comparatively. My boss had me do one more delivery after that, then he let me go home, and I graciously passed out on my soft bed after walking the 12 blocks back to my apartment from where I parked my car. (It's the closest street that I don't have to pay to park on.)
GROOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN.